Here’s some old news from the Andover, East Andover, West Andover, Potter Place, and Cilleyville “gossip” columns of the Franklin Journal Transcript, selected by Heather Makechnie.
November 7, 1963
John Wadleigh, Jr. died Friday, November 1. He was born in East Andover, December 1, 1909, the son of John and Katharine G. (Manion) Wadleigh. He was a PFC in World War II with the US Army. He was a past member of the Shaw-Martin-Beaupre Post, American Legion, and a past member of Highland Lake Grange. He was a former member of the East Andover Fire Department and the East Andover Fish and Game Club. He was postmaster in East Andover for 30 years and was a member of the National League of Postmasters. Members of the family include his wife, Mrs. Mildred H. Wadleigh and his mother, Katharine Wadleigh of East Andover.
We are real sorry to hear that the Day children have the chicken pox, as does the Bryant Adams family. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Shaw’s eight-month-old daughter has just got over the measles.
November 14, 1963
In case youngsters have been worrying, Santa has one of those new Zip codes, too. According to postal officials, a Zip code number has been assigned to Santa and any letters intended for the old gentleman should be addressed:
Santa Claus
North Pole 99701
Holderness played Proctor on Saturday. Holderness won 20-14. A dinner dance was held in the evening with guests from Stoneledge Prospect Girls School.
Cushing Electrical Center on 334 Central Street in Franklin (Tel 269J) urges customers to prepare for color TV with the remarkable new Channel Master Golden Crossfire TV Antenna, which actually obsoletes all other antennas! Beautiful “golden overcoat” adds gold color glamour and gives weather protection, ensuring continuous efficiency. For real tough areas, team your Crossfire with a Channel Master Booster-Coupler for tremendous power!
November 21, 1963
East Andover Volunteer Fire Department Annual Turkey Benefit, Saturday, November 23, 1963 at 7 PM at the fire station.
Lucky deer hunters over the weekend were Jimmie Henderson – 222 pound 8 point buck; John Rivers – 150 pound spike horn; Richard Martin – 145 pound buck; Clarence Lull – 142 pound 8 point buck; Richard Day – 125 pound spike horn; Peter Shampney and Donald Miller – 125 pounders; Frederick Condon – 90 pounder; Howard George and Kenneth Sherman – 65 pounders; Danny Walker and Bertie Hoyt – 60 pounders.
Daniel Webster Inn will be serving Thanksgiving Dinner for $2.75. The menu follows: Cheese Dip Supreme, Fresh Fruit Cocktail with Sherbet, Orange Blossom Soup, Roasted Young Tom Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing, Candied Sweet or Whipped Potato, Fresh Squash, Peas and Onions, Assorted Rolls, Fresh Creamery Butter, and Coffee. Assorted desserts include: Ice Cream with Crème de Menthe Sauce, Baked Indian Pudding, Sultana Roll with Claret Sauce, Fresh Squash or Mincemeat Pie with Cheese, Ice Cream Pie with Strawberries, Fresh Pecan Pie. For reservations – Tel. 449.
November 28, 1963
The Depth of Grief – Editorial
Almost every word of grief that has been expressed at the death of President John F. Kennedy has been a cliche or awkward, or painfully inadequate.
Our business is words, but we find it impossible to express here the depth of the shock and dismay that came to Franklin Friday afternoon, when news bulletins announced the tragic death of our young and vigorous President, without resorting to cliches or awkward phrases.
The closest we can come is by using the words of a fellow Franklinite, Mayor Donald W. Cushing. What he had to say there at the first, a few hours after the shooting, is awkward, a clumsily turned phrase, but it seems to us that as Mr. Cushing struggled to put his personal anguish into words, he spoke for a great many people.
The heart of what he had to say, without polish, and strained by the utter shock he shared with all the rest of us, was this:
“I’m saddened to the point where I could cry right now.”